Today’s photo shows Vladimir Iljitj Uljanov’s locomotive, which pulled the train that took the father of the Russian Revolution, through the new worker state, during the years following the October Revolution in 1917. We also know him as Lenin, most accurately described as his working alias. Other revolutionaries, like Mikhail Bakunin used his own name, secure in his identity as an anarchist and a professional revolutionary. About Bakunin it has been told that once he travelled through southern Germany and stopped on height for a short rest. Far away heavy smoke was seen. Bakunin turned to the coach driver and asked him on what was going on. "-It is the people that rise against the prince, the coachman answered." Bakunin ordered the coachman to take a detour towards the burning castle and during that afternoon he helped the locals organizing the attacks and destroying the castle. In the evening he continued his travel, after a good days work.
Locomotives and trains have a significant meaning in Russian history. Much of Russian history is determined by railways and rails. The Russian author Jurij Borev described the history of the Soviet Union as the progress of a metaphoric train:
The train is rolling towards a magnificent future. Lenin is driving the train. Suddenly there is a full stop, and it is the end of the track. Lenin promotes extra work on Saturdays, and new rails is lain out and the train is rolling down the track. Now Stalin is in the driving seat. The track ends again. Stalin puts half the train personnel and the passengers before a firing squad, and force the rest to lay down more rails. The train rolls on. Stalin is now replaced by Khrushchev, and when the track ends, he orders the rails to be dismantled behind the train and rebuilt in front of it. Brezhnev replaces Khrushchev. As the track ends once again, Brezjnev decides that the curtains should be pulled down and the wagons should rocked, making the passengers believe that the train is rolling on.
The train remains at the station for a while, during the era that is nicknamed ”the Era of the Three Burials”, during which train drivers Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko gives it a hard effort, but never succeeds in getting the train rolling again. A new driver is appointed, Gorbachew and he makes the train start moving forward again, but then there is a full stop again and nothing seems to get the train going again. The stop is final!
On a side track another train emerges. The shield on the train tells us, the Russian Federation. Train driver is Jeltsin and he does not seem sober and this calms the passengers. But the ride is bumpy and after some time the train goes into full stop again. This time the train stops at a great Central Station. Jeltsin cannot drive any longer, he has exhausted all his strength. In despair the train personnel goes into the Station and they return with a character with rude looks and firm opinions. The driver is now Putin, and the train is rolling down the track. The speed increases and the next time we change driver, we do it while the train still is rolling. The new driver is Medvedev. But Putin remains behind Medvedev to supervise the continued progress. The passengers are calmed down, and will remain so until the next full stop.
The question is not whether the train stops, but when it is going to stop. What happens then?
Locomotives and trains have a significant meaning in Russian history. Much of Russian history is determined by railways and rails. The Russian author Jurij Borev described the history of the Soviet Union as the progress of a metaphoric train:
The train is rolling towards a magnificent future. Lenin is driving the train. Suddenly there is a full stop, and it is the end of the track. Lenin promotes extra work on Saturdays, and new rails is lain out and the train is rolling down the track. Now Stalin is in the driving seat. The track ends again. Stalin puts half the train personnel and the passengers before a firing squad, and force the rest to lay down more rails. The train rolls on. Stalin is now replaced by Khrushchev, and when the track ends, he orders the rails to be dismantled behind the train and rebuilt in front of it. Brezhnev replaces Khrushchev. As the track ends once again, Brezjnev decides that the curtains should be pulled down and the wagons should rocked, making the passengers believe that the train is rolling on.
The train remains at the station for a while, during the era that is nicknamed ”the Era of the Three Burials”, during which train drivers Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko gives it a hard effort, but never succeeds in getting the train rolling again. A new driver is appointed, Gorbachew and he makes the train start moving forward again, but then there is a full stop again and nothing seems to get the train going again. The stop is final!
On a side track another train emerges. The shield on the train tells us, the Russian Federation. Train driver is Jeltsin and he does not seem sober and this calms the passengers. But the ride is bumpy and after some time the train goes into full stop again. This time the train stops at a great Central Station. Jeltsin cannot drive any longer, he has exhausted all his strength. In despair the train personnel goes into the Station and they return with a character with rude looks and firm opinions. The driver is now Putin, and the train is rolling down the track. The speed increases and the next time we change driver, we do it while the train still is rolling. The new driver is Medvedev. But Putin remains behind Medvedev to supervise the continued progress. The passengers are calmed down, and will remain so until the next full stop.
The question is not whether the train stops, but when it is going to stop. What happens then?
Note: The last part of the metaphoric thale, the one concerning the Russian Federation, is not written by Jurij Borev. The title of this blog is refering to the album Hellbound Train by Savoy Brown Blues Band.
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